


If Only Never Again

by shewritesall



Series: If Only [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Accident, Avengers - Freeform, Avengers Tower, Complete, Iron Dad, Iron Man - Freeform, Marvel - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Spider Man - Freeform, Tony Stark Has A Heart, UA, dad tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-29 18:45:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14478885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall
Summary: Peter Parker has never had the best of luck in the world, but when disaster strikes him once again, it's almost too much.  However, Mr. Stark might be willing to help Peter out and he is definitely willing to make sure the kid survives.  But getting from point a to point b is a whole other story.  Now, you have to read it.This really just highlights to father-son relationship Tony and Peter seem to have.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Marvel

_Peter's POV_

If you've never been hugged by a gorilla, then you don't understand what it's like to be hugged by Aunt May. Honestly, you would think by the way she hugs you that she hasn't seen you in years. Obviously, that's not true since Aunt May has been taking care of me most of my life.

"I think that's tight enough, May," I said, my words barely recognizable as my face was squished into her shoulder. She sighed and let me breath, pulling back just enough to look at me, keeping her arms around my shoulders.

"I'll be back in one week, Peter," she promised. I grinned and nodded, hugging her one last time then stepping back. "You sure you'll be okay?" she asked. I gave her a look and she brought her hands up in defeat. She had only asked that a dozen times in the past three hours.

"Relax, May," Mr. Stark said. He slung an arm over my shoulder and I grinned even wider. "He's in good hands." Aunt May seemed reluctant to agree, but eventually she nodded her head slowly and sighed. She reached for her small suitcase and turned towards security.

"Alright then," she said. She glanced back at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Go!"

"I'm going! I'm going!" she exclaimed. She hugged me one last time before heading off towards security. Mr. Stark and I waved goodbye until we could no longer see her. Even then we waited a little while longer before turning to leave the airport.

Happy hadn't been the one to drive us, Mr. Stark had. We made our way back to where he had parked the car and as I was pulling open the passenger door, Mr. Stark held out his hand to stop me. I looked at him in confusion but he just smirked.

"You drive, kid," he said. My eyes widened as he handed me the keys then slid into the passenger seat. I scrambled around to the driver's side and closed the door. I sat for a moment, staring at the steering wheel before Mr. Stark cleared his throat. "You've done this before, kid. You know how it works." I nodded hastily and turned on the car. Thankfully the airport wasn't that busy, so I was able to make it out and onto the freeway without any trouble. After that, the most difficult part would be navigating New York City so we could get back to Stark Tower.

Mr. Stark decided to keep the tower after I crashed his plane of stuff. He said something about needing a place where he could easily keep an eye on me, but I came over every weekend at Mr. Stark's request for what I liked to call Nerd Night. Mr. Stark would deny he knew anything about it, but I knew he enjoyed the nights. He always seemed disappointed when I couldn't come, so I tried to come whenever I could. Besides, it was only a 40 minute subway ride from school and May worked late nights.

It took us about an hour to drive from JFK Airport to Stark Tower. Mr. Stark complained about how slow I was driving, but the minute I went 5 miles over the speed limit, he freaked out and told me to slow down. That's why we were pulling into Mr. Stark's private underground garage an hour after May had left us at the airport.

"Finally," Mr. Stark said, slamming his door shut as he climbed out of the car. I tossed him his keys back and pulled the back seat door open. I tossed my duffel bag over my shoulder and grabbed my school bag. Thankfully, I didn't have any homework that I needed to do tonight, so I would probably be able to convince Mr. Stark to let me go out as Spider-man.

"Hey, Mr. Stark?" I asked. I dropped my backpack near the couch and followed him into the kitchen. Mr. Stark glanced up at me as he opened the fridge, so I continued, "I don't have any homework tonight and I was wondering if I could go be Spider-man?" Mr. Stark frowned as he held his beer in one hand and the opener in the other.

"Why are you asking me?" he asked. I fiddled with my hands for a moment as he looked at me questioningly.

"Um, because I, um--"

"Sure, kid," he cut me off. "I'll even come with you." My eyes widened as I watched him put his beer back in the fridge. "Fight a few bad guys, get some shawarma afterwards. How's that sound?" he asked. I nodded my head quickly, nearly falling off the counter stool. He just smirked and waved his hand at me. "Go suit up, Underoos."


	2. Chapter 2

_Tony’s POV_

Despite telling Peter we would only be out for a few hours, we ended up coming back to the tower by around midnight. I had gotten an alert from FRIDAY that a group of guys were trying to break into one of my storage facilities, so Peter and I had to go deal with that before we could head home. On the way back, Peter had spotted a gang of people trying to rob a local restaurant. He had refused to let them be, so I just sat back and watched him take care of them. “Come on, kid,” I said, climbing out of my suit. Peter was barely able to stand up straight he was so tired.

“Time to go to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow.” Peter yawned and nearly tripped over my work bench. I grabbed his shoulders to steady him and walked him up the stairs to his room.

Peter didn’t even bother changing out of his suit. I led him over to his bed and watched as he collapsed on top of it, falling asleep seconds after his head hit the pillow. I pulled his mask off and set it on his bedside table before walking out of his bedroom and closing the door behind me. I had been planning on working on my latest project tonight, but since we had gotten back fairly late, I decided to just go to bed. Besides, I had to drop Peter off at school tomorrow morning and I was not used to getting up before 8AM.

* * *

“Mr. Stark?” I groaned and tried to block the sound out by swatting at it. “Mr. Stark? You have to get up. I need to get to school and I’m gonna be late.” I forced my eyes open and after a few seconds, I realized Peter was standing over me, fully dress and carrying his backpack.

“Kid? What time is it?” I asked. I sat up, rubbing my face then tossing the blankets back.

“It’s almost 7:30, sir,” he answered. My eyes shot open and I whipped around to look at Peter. “I tried waking you up at 7AM, but you kind of made me go away.” I fished through my closet for a pair of jeans and a decent t-shirt. Showers could wait, schools could not. If May found out I had made Peter late for school, she would never leave the kid with me again.

“What happened?” I asked. I walked into my bathroom to change quickly and brush my teeth.

“You hit me,” Peter replied. I stuck my head out of the bathroom to make sure he wasn’t kidding. Instead, I found him making my bed. “It wasn’t that bad, but I decided to leave you alone for a while, let you wake up. Apparently you went back to sleep.” I groaned and walked out of the bathroom, tugging my shirt over my head.

“Come on, kid,” I said. “We’ll get breakfast on the way and I’ll talk to Principal Whatever when we get there.” I hurried into the elevator with Peter close behind.

“I already had breakfast,” Peter told me. I glanced at him to see him wide awake. It didn’t surprise me. After the first night of having him stay with me in the Tower, I discovered he was a morning person.

“Alright then,” I muttered. We reached the parking garage and I unlocked my corvette. Peter climbed in the passenger side and I hopped in as driver. Without any warning, I shot out of the garage and onto the highway.

“I promise I will be on time tomorrow morning,” I said. I glanced over at Peter who was busy looking out the window. “I guess I forget to tell FRIDAY to wake me up.” Peter shrugged.

“I could just take the subway,” He suggested. He had suggested it earlier, but I had quickly denied it.

“No,” I replied. “You will not be taking the subway of the bus so long as I’m in charge of you.” Peter grinned at me before returning his gaze out the window.

“By the way, it’s Principal Davis,” Peter told me, grinning as I rolled my eyes.

We made it to Midtown High in record time. It was 7:56AM when I pulled into the parking lot and Peter didn’t even wait for me to stop the car before racing inside. I followed at a much more leisurely pace, making it to the front doors right as the last bell rang. I guess Peter must have made it to class on time because he wasn’t in the long hallway, so I just looked for the Principal’s office. When I found it, I knocked briefly then walked inside. Principal Davis glanced up from his computer then did a double take and stood up.

“M-Mr. Stark, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Hi, yeah,” I began. “I’m in charge of Peter Parker this week, his aunt’s out of town, and I might have woken up late today. If he’s marked tardy for his first class, could you just excuse it? That’d be great.” Principal Davis nodded eagerly and scribbled it down on a piece of paper.

“Of course, Mr. Stark,” he said. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked. I shook my head, glancing around his office before turning to leave. “Good day, Mr. Stark.” I paused for only a moment before continuing out the door. Way to make myself look like a fool when it comes to kid care.


	3. Chapter 3

_Peter’s POV_

After school, I decided to go over to Ned’s house. I called Mr. Stark, but he didn’t answer so I just left a message. I also texted him, just to make sure he knew not to come pick me up. I had actually called him during lunch so he wouldn’t drive out here at all and since I didn’t see any of his cars in the parking lot, I assumed he got the message.

Ned and I rode the bus to his house. His mom wasn’t home yet, but his little sister was so we locked ourselves in his bedroom.

“Dude, what’s it like living with Tony Stark?” Ned asked. I shrugged, looking over his LEGO collection.

“Come on, man. Give me more than just a--” he shrugged. I rolled my eyes and flopped down on his bed.

“It’s cool, I guess,” I replied. Ned gave me a look that said my answer wasn’t satisfactory, so I sat up to explain more. “I go over every weekend, so I have my own room which is pretty neat. It’s right by Tony’s. He also made me my own little area in his lab so I can work down there with him.” Just as I expected, Ned found that to be the coolest thing in the world. After a dozen or so questions, I made him change the subject to something unrelated to Mr. Stark.

Ned’s mom got home around 4:00PM. She said hello to us then left us alone which was nice. I ended up staying for dinner, too. Mrs. Leeds made the best home cooked meals. Aunt May always tried to, but she wasn’t a very good chef and we both knew it.

“So, Peter, I heard May is out of town,” Mrs. Leeds said, reaching for the salad bowl. I nodded, taking a bite of the spaghetti casserole she had made. “Where are you staying? Surely you’re not all alone.”

“No,” I said. I wiped my mouth before continuing. “I’m staying with a friend.” I didn’t know how she would react to knowing it was Mr. Stark, but I guess Ned didn’t care.

“He’s staying with Tony Stark,” Ned exclaimed. Mrs. Leeds glared at him for speaking with his mouth open then turned to me with a shocked expression. I felt my face get warm.

“You know Tony Stark?” she asked. I nodded, but just a little. It was always awkward when people asked; especially if they were adults. Just like all the other adults I told, Mrs. Leeds didn’t seem to believe me. She didn’t say anything, but I could see it in her face so I just busied myself with eating.

We had just finished dinner and Ned and I were doing the dishes when the doorbell rang. Ned and I glanced at each other, wondering who that would be, when Ned’s little sister pulled open the door. She just gasped as she looked up at whoever was at the door. I couldn’t see who it was though because the kitchen cabinets blocked my view. However, I knew who it was as soon as the visitor cleared their throat.

“Hey,” Mr. Stark said. “Is Peter here?” I didn’t hear a verbal reply, but a few seconds later, Mr. Stark was standing in the kitchen watching me and Ned do the dishes.

“Hi, Mr. Stark,” I said. I dried my hands with a towel then turned to face him. “What are you doing here?”

“I texted you,” he told me. He held up his phone and I reached in my back pocket for mine, but didn’t feel it. “About a dozen times actually. You didn’t reply so I had FRIDAY track your phone here.”

“I must have left my phone in Ned’s room,” I told him. He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side. “I’ll go get my stuff,” I mumbled. I hurried into Ned’s room and grabbed my phone and backpack before meeting back up with Mr. Stark in the living room.

Mrs. Leeds was standing next to Ned in shock. She just stared at Mr. Stark while he talked to Ned about science and whatnot. When they spotted me returning, they stopped their conversation. Mr. Stark grinned and clapped his hands.

“Ready to go home, Pete?” he asked. I nodded and waved to Ned and Mrs. Leeds.

“Thank you for the food, Mrs. Leeds!” I called, following Mr. Stark out the door. She briefly raised her hand at me, but Ned shut the door before she could say anything.


	4. Chapter 4

It was finally Friday.  School would get out early today and Aunt May would return around 3:00PM.  Even though that meant I wasn't going to be staying with Mr. Stark anymore, I was excited for her to return.  It was the first time she had ever gone on a trip longer than two nights without me and though I would never admit it out loud, I missed her when she was gone. 

"Ready, kid?"  Mr. Stark yelled.  I tugged on my shoe and grabbed my backpack, tossing it over my shoulder.  Mr. Stark had gotten much better at getting up early to take me to school.  He was up before me now and even though he couldn't cook anything but toast, he always made sure I ate before we ran out of the tower and into one of his expensive cars.  

"Coming!"  I yelled back, racing into the kitchen.  I grabbed a piece of buttered toast and followed Mr. Stark down to the garage.  I ate my toast on the way down and brushed my hands on my jeans as Mr. Stark unlocked one of his Audis.  I slid in the passenger seat and Mr. Stark started the engine, taking us out of the garage and towards Midtown High.  

As soon as I arrived, I met up with Ned by his locker.  He turned to walk with me to my locker as we talked about our weekend plans.  

"Do you think you can come over?"  Ned asked.  I shrugged, spinning the dial on my locker.  "I could come to your place if that's easier.  I know May's just getting back, but I really want to show you this new comic book I got."  

"Just stop by tomorrow or something,"  I said.  I grabbed my Spanish notebook and slammed my locker shut.  "I'll be back before lunch, so just come by around 3PM.  I'll tell May you're coming."  Ned nodded. 

"Awesome."  

* * *

 _Only one more class after this,_ I thought to myself.  I set my backpack down beside me and sat down in my seat.  We had just finished lunch and there was only about an hour and a half left.  I only had science left now that I was in calculus.  I can do this.  

Ned sat down beside me in his desk and dropped his calculus book on his desk.  Everyone turned to look at him as the book made a loud noise and Ned's face turned red.  I hid a laugh, knowing Ned wouldn't like being laughed at even if it was all in good nature, and bent down to grab my book, but quieter.  

"Peter Parker to the front office, please.  Peter Parker to the front office, please."  I looked up from where I had been digging through my backpack.  "Bring your things."  That was an odd request.  Mr. Stark knew better than to take me out of school.  

I glanced up at Mr. Pats.  He nodded, so I zipped up my backpack and headed down the hall towards the front office.  The halls were empty since it was the beginning of class.  I did pass Mr. Hoki, but he must have heard the announcement because he didn't give me any trouble.  It was eerie to walk through the halls and have the only sound be your footsteps.  School was never this quiet and even if it was, I was never around to experience it.  

As I neared the front office, I spotted Mr. Stark sitting in one of the chairs with his sunglasses on.  He pointed to the sign-out sheet silently, so I signed myself out.  I said goodbye to Miss Cam, the front desk worker, but she just gave me a sad smile.  Confused, I turned to face Mr. Stark. 

"Mr. Stark?"  I asked.  He glanced up at me, but his sunglasses stayed on.  "What's going on?"  He stood up and motioned for me to follow him.  

I walked with him out to his car.  He didn't say anything and after ten minutes, I tried talked to him again. 

"Mr. Stark, why did you take me out of school early?"  I asked.  Mr. Stark glanced at me briefly and sighed.  

"I'll tell you when we get back to the tower,"  he promised.  He returned his full attention to the road, so I just looked out my window as we flew through New York on the highway.  


	5. Chapter 5

_Tony's POV_

I turned off the car engine and led Peter up to the main suite.  He dropped his backpack off in his bedroom then joined me in the living room like I had told him.  I patted the couch beside me and he sat down, not saying a word.  I guess he must have realized whatever I had pulled him out of school for was important because he didn't ask me anything like I expected.  

"Peter, you know how sometimes things happen and we're not sure why?"  I asked.  I wasn't sure how to begin, but I had thought about it for awhile and figured this was the best approach.  

"Sure,"  Peter said.  He was obviously uncertain about where I was going with this.  I could hear it in his voice when he had replied.  

I stayed quiet for a little while longer then pulled off my sunglasses and set them on the coffee table.  I turned to face Peter who looked very worried about what I was going to say next.  

"May isn't coming back,"  I told him quietly.  His worry switched to confusion in an instant but I continued before he could say anything.  "Her plane crashed on its way back from the Bahamas.  I'm so sorry, Peter."  He didn't say anything.  He didn't react for a good minute or so.  His face went blank and he just stared at the floor, trying to process what he had just heard.  

I doubt he was very aware of his actions after that.  He went from being silent to sobbing in seconds.  His body shook as he cried and after a second of hesitation, I leaned forward to hug him.  He immediately grabbed onto me, his arms locking around me as he cried onto my chest.  I kept my grip on him firm, rubbing his back but saying nothing.  I wasn't exactly skilled in this area, but I remembered vaguely what people had done for me when my parents died.  

Peter cried for at least an hour.  He didn't stop or slow down and I kept my arms around him tightly.  After he had run out of energy, he just hiccuped then slowly became silent.  His grip around me didn't loosen a bit, though, and I didn't loosen my arms around him.  He stayed still for a long time before beginning to pull away from me.  He wiped his face and glanced down at my shirt.  I knew it was ruined, but I didn't care. 

"I-I'm sorry about y-your shirt,"  he stuttered.  I tried to smile, but found I wasn't able to, so I just shook my head.  

"It's alright, kid,"  I assured him.  He wiped his eyes again and took a deep breath.  "Go take a shower.  I'll order Chinese to the tower."  He nodded and I helped him up.  I watched him stumble down the hall into his bedroom to use his own shower.  He shut the door behind him and I sighed.  

I knew it would be at least another hour before he came out of the shower, so I didn't immediately order food.  I was fairly certain he would break down again, too, so I didn't bother changing.  I just grabbed a washcloth and wiped my shirt off.  Reluctantly, I turned on the news to see if they were still covering the plane crash.  

I had been one of the first few to hear of it.  FRIDAY had alerted me when my private satellite had picked up on debris in the ocean.  After contacting the airport, they confirmed it had been May's flight.  I knew what Peter was going through, losing someone that close, so I also knew he wouldn't be himself for weeks.  He would also be in his room for a long time.  I would just wait until Peter got out of his shower then order food.  However, he still wasn't out after two hours so I decided to check on him only to find him fast asleep on his bed.  

I watched him for a minute or two.  He most likely wouldn't sleep well, but I decided to just leave him be.  I turned off his bedroom and bathroom light but left his door open.  I walked into my own bedroom and changed my t-shirt.  After telling FRIDAY to alert me if Peter's state changed even the slightest, I went downstairs to my lab in hopes of distracting myself.  


	6. Chapter 6

"Mr. Parker seems to be experiencing a nightmare,"  FRIDAY announced.  I nearly dropped my tools then ran up the stairs.  I raced into Peter's bedroom where he was tossing and turning in his bed.  I knelt down by his bed and reached for his shoulder.  As soon as I touched him, he snapped awake.  

"Hey, hey, calm down,"  I said, sitting on his bed.  "You're okay."  Peter took a few shaky breaths and nodded.  He didn't look up, staring down at his hands in his lap instead.  

"How's Aunt May?  Is she okay?  I had this awful nightmare and if felt so real--"  he stopped when he saw my face.  His went from worry back to sorrow and I sighed.  

"I'm sorry, kid,"  I replied quietly.  "It really happened."  Peter didn't start crying again which I was thankful for.  He just nodded numbly.  He wiped his face quickly and I pretended not to notice.  

"C-Can we do something?"  he asked.  He hesitantly looked up at me and I nodded.  

"Like what?"  Peter shrugged. 

"I don't know,"  he told me.  "I just don't want to think about what happened."  I knew that wasn't the right way to go about doing it, but I didn't want him to just sit around and mope all day.  

"I'll order Chinese and we can watch a movie,"  I said.  He nodded, so I stood up and walked towards his door.  I turned back to see him furiously wipe at his face again.  "Peter?  It's okay to cry.  It's actually the best thing you can do right now.  I'll be here if you need me,"  I promised.  Peter just nodded and folded his hands back in his lap.  

"Thanks, Mr. Stark,"  he whispered.  I pursed my lips and left the room, heading into the living room before telling FRIDAY to order our usual Chinese order. 

* * *

By the time the food arrived, Peter had decided on a movie.  It took him a while and I could tell his mind wasn't really on the movies he was looking at, but by the time I had paid the delivery guy and returned upstairs to Peter, he was putting a movie in the player. 

I set the bags of food on the coffee table and went to find a few blankets.  The tower wasn't exactly cold, but I figured wrapping up in blankets would help Peter feel better.  The kid loved blankets.  

"Mr. Stark?"  Peter asked.  I glanced over my shoulder as I walked towards my bedroom.  Peter's voice had become a lot quieter and he didn't have as much character when he spoke.  I knew May's death would really hurt him, but that didn't mean I liked how quiet and empty he had become even in the past few hours.  "Can you get Jeremy?"  His voice was even quieter if that was possible, but I still heard him.  

"Of course, Pete,"  I replied.  I grabbed the extra blankets from my room then stopped in Peter's room to grab Jeremy.  I had only just found out about the stuffed koala.  May had to drop it off one evening when Peter forgot it and that's when I found out Peter still slept with a stuffed animal.  Apparently his mother had bought it for him when he was a baby and Peter refused to go a night without it.  He was really embarrassed when I found out, but he had quickly turned it on me and asked if I'd had a favorite stuffed animal.  I had to admit that I did and that I had even slept with it up until I graduated college.  Everyone has comfort items and Peter's just happened to be a koala while mine had been the classic teddy bear. 

"I walked back into the living room and handed Jeremy to Peter who gratefully accepted him.  I also draped a blanket over Peter's shoulders and set the rest on the floor.  Peter hit play on the remote as I reached for the food.  I handed a package to Peter who just held it, not bothering to open it and start eating.  I decided to just let him be for a while and ate my food as the movie player.  


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend was miserable.  Peter spent most of his time in his bedroom, only coming out if he was hungry which was almost never.  I knew he wouldn't be able to, so I had Happy arrange May's funeral for as soon as possible.  We would be having it on Tuesday evening at one of the best funeral homes in Queens.  Peter had just nodded numbly when I told him, probably still in shock and denial as to what had happened.  

Today was Monday and I was only up early so I could call the school and make sure I was up if Peter needed me.  Besides, I hadn't been able to sleep very well at night, not knowing if Peter was asleep himself or crying silently in his room.  

"Mr. Stark?"  I looked up from the magazine I was glanced through to see Peter walking into the kitchen.  He was still in his sweatpants and a t-shirt and his eyes were red-rimmed.  

"What's up, kid?"  I asked, closing my magazine.  He sat at the counter and I grabbed the milk and some cereal out for him.  He didn't even look at it.  

"Do I have to go to school today?"  he asked.  I shook my head and he seemed relieved.  

"No, not until you want to,"  I told him.  He nodded and glanced at the cereal.  I could tell he wasn't hungry, but he still reached for the box and milk, pouring himself some breakfast and eating quietly.  "May's funeral is tomorrow and Happy's going to come over and discuss last minute details with me today.  Do you want to be there when he does?"  Peter shook his head.  "Alright.  Feel free to just hang out, then.  When I'm done with Happy, we'll pick out a movie, okay?"  Peter just nodded, so I left the kitchen and went down to my lab.  

* * *

Happy arrived later that morning.  He brought lunch, too, so Peter ended up staying with us in the living room, nibbling on his Chipotle burrito while I talked to Happy quietly.  It didn't take long to finish up last minute details and fifteen minutes after he arrived, Happy left.  

"Want to watch another movie?"  I asked, cleaning up the wrappers from our lunch.  Peter shook his head.  He was sprawled out on the couch, laying on his stomach with his head buried in the cushions.  "What do you want to do then, bud?"  He shrugged as best he could and I sighed.  He turned his head so he was looking at me and I glanced at him.  

"Can we get ice cream or something?  I want to get out of the tower,"  he said.  I nodded and offered my hand to help him up.  He took it and I pulled him to his feet, pointing him towards his room to get changed.  

It took him longer than usual to get dressed but by the time he came out, he seemed like he was mostly back to his old self.  He had a small smile on his face, but I could still tell something had changed him.  I started towards the garage, but Peter stopped me.  

"Have you ever been on the subway, Mr. Stark?"  he asked.  I gave him a look, but he grinned for the first time in a long time so I sighed.  "You'll hate it, but it's pretty cool."  Peter told me all about the subway on the elevator ride down and when we finally walked outside, he was almost normal.  His laughs were a little shorter, but it was nice to hear him laugh at all.  

"How do we do this?"  I asked as we walked into the subway station.  We walked into the tunnel and up to a booth where Peter asked for my wallet.  I handed it to him and he pulled out one of the cards, handing it to the ticket lady and getting two tickets in return.  

I followed Peter down the stairs and through the tunnel.  Peter seemed to know what he was doing, but I had no clue so I just followed him around.  I jumped when one of the subway trains came barreling past us and Peter chuckled.  He glanced up at the digital board thingy hanging across the tracts then at the clock behind us.  

"Our train should be this next one,"  he told me.  I nodded, looking around the grimy station.  Homeless people sat against the walls while other people walked around.  This was definitely not my area of expertise.  

Just as Peter had said, the next train that came through stopped in front of us.  I was about to walk on as soon as the doors opened, but Peter pulled me back.  

"People have to get off first,"  he told me.  I nodded and watched as people poured out of the train cars then followed Peter on board.  He grabbed hold of one of the ropes hanging down, so I copied him.  He smirked and shook his head.  "You might want to take the first one sitting down."  I just tightened my grip on the rope and smirked back.  Peter hid a laugh and soon the doors were closing and the car was full.  He was right: I did hate it. 


	8. Chapter 8

_Peter's POV_

Mr. Stark almost flew on top of the man sitting in front of him when the subway started up.  He stumbled forward, cursing under his breath while I laughed.  He glared at me then righted himself.  He braced himself the entire ride until we arrived in the station where we would be getting off.  He relaxed, only to stumble again when the subway came to a stop.  He stumbled after me, cursing the subway as we walked out of the station and up into Queens.  

I waited for Mr. Stark to recover outside of the station.  he pulled out his sunglasses and slid them on his face.  The sun was out, but not enough to warrant sunglasses, so I figured they were more to keep him from being recognized.  

"Alright, kid,"  he said, looking around.  "Where are we headed?"  I grinned and pointed across the street to Mr. Delmar's sandwich shop.  

"Best sandwiches in all of Queens,"  I told him.  He smiled and shook his head, but motioned for me to lead the way.  I happily did so, breathing in deeply when I entered the shop.  Mr. Delmar looked up when he heard the overhead bell jingle and grinned.  He must have seen Mr. Stark behind me because his eyes widened and he nodded slightly.  

" _So this is who you spend weekends with, then_?"  he asked in Spanish.  I glanced back at Mr. Stark who didn't seem to be paying attention.  I was pretty sure he knew Spanish, though.  

" _Yeah, someone has to make sure he doesn't drink himself sick_ ,"  I replied.  Mr. Delmar grinned, turning to begin making my sandwich before Mr. Stark cut in.  

" _Yes, I'm the one that needs babysitting_ ,"  he said.  Mr. Delmar laughed and I felt my face get red.  I glared at Mr. Stark who just laughed and glanced up at the menu.  "What's good here, Pete?"  He motioned to the menu and I shrugged.  

"I usually get the same thing every time,"  I told him.  "I've heard the number 2 is pretty good, though."  Mr. Stark nodded and read the description.  He gave Mr. Delmar his order as Mr. Delmar handed me my sandwich.  Mr. Stark's order was ready a couple minute later, so Mr. Delmar rang us up then we walked out of the shop.  

"What's next?"  Mr. Stark asked.  He took a bite of his sandwich and seem surprised at how good it tasted.  "God, this is amazing."  I grinned and opened my sandwich bag as well, taking a bite before taking Mr. Stark tot he next place on my agenda. 

* * *

By the end of the day, I was too exhausted to remind Mr. Stark not to stand on the subway.  It didn't matter, though, since he claimed a seat as soon as the doors opened and we were allowed on.  I sat down next to him, not wanting to stand even if it wasn't that long of a ride back to the tower.  The thought of walking from the subway station to the tower was not a happy one, though, and I decided not to think on it.  

"Did you have a good day, kid?"  Mr. Stark asked.  He reached for a handle as the subway shot forward and I couldn't help the sleepy smile from appearing on my face.  I nodded, covering my mouth with my hand as I yawned.  

"Best day in a long time,"  I replied.  Mr. Stark smiled and we sat in silence for the rest of the ride back.  

I followed Mr. Stark out of the subway station and down the street.  We walked slowly, enjoying New York in the dark.  When we finally got to the tower, I was stumbling along behind Mr. Stark into the elevator.  I slumped against the wall and almost fell asleep before we reached our floor.  

"Alright, off to bed with you,"  Mr. Stark said as the elevator doors opened.  He guided me out of the elevator and into my bedroom.  "We have a big day tomorrow, Pete."  I suddenly remembered why I was still with Mr. Stark and all the enjoyment from the day left me.  Mr. Stark must have noticed the change in my attitude because he sighed and leaned against the door.  "It'll be alright, kid.  Tomorrow's gonna suck, but it will get better after that,"  he promised.  I just nodded, pulling my pajama pants out of my dresser.  

"Thanks for today, Mr. Stark,"  I said.  He grunted.  "Goodnight."  

"Goodnight,"  he replied.  He left my room, shutting the door behind him, and I quickly changed out of my normal clothes and into my pajamas.  I almost didn't brush my teeth, but I could hear May's voice in my head telling me my teeth would rot if I didn't.  I groaned and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth before falling down onto my bed.  Mr. Stark was right about at least one thing: tomorrow was definitely going to suck.  


	9. Chapter 9

_Tony's POV_

I almost didn't wake Peter up in the morning. I knew he would be miserable all day and I didn't like seeing him like that. It was awful. He was supposed to be the ball of joy and I was supposed to be the miserable one, not both of us.

"Come on, Peter," I said, shaking him awake. "Time to get up." Peter groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. I shook him again then stood up. "I know you don't want to, but the sooner the day starts, the sooner it's over." Peter opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Once I was sure he wouldn't be going back to sleep, I left the room to go make breakfast.   
Peter came out nearly forty-five minutes later in the suit I had gotten him and wet hair. He was struggling to do his cufflinks, so I motioned for him to let me do it. He immediately let me do it and then let me tie his tie, too. Once I finished, he sat down at the counter for breakfast while I went to get dressed.

The funeral would start about an hour after Peter and I arrived. I had to be there early since Happy couldn't and since I had no intention of letting Peter take the subway or try to skip out, I was taking him me. That why we arrived at the funeral home at exactly 10:00 AM.

"Can I just leave?" Peter asked. I gave him a look and he slumped down in his seat. "I shouldn't be here. She shouldn't have left me like this."

"I know, Peter," I said. He glared at me, but I didn't back off. "She shouldn't have done this to you, but life isn't always fair. Now, you're going to go to the funeral even if I have to drag you in there, but I don't think I'll have to, will I?" Peter shook his head. "Good. Let's go." I got out of the car and waited for Peter to follow me. He did, muttering under his breath about how May was selfish for dying and how she shouldn't have just abandoned him like his parents had. I didn't say anything, knowing he was moving on through the stages of grief. The last thing I wanted to do was make things worse, so I just stayed silent.

"Hey, Tony," Rhodey greeted. He looked at Peter who refused to make eye contact. Rhodey glanced at me and I shrugged.

"He's in the anger phase," I told him. Peter glared at me, proving my point, then went back to staring at the ground. Rhodey nodded then turned to Peter.

"Hey, Peter," he said. Peter glanced up at him briefly then looked away again. "One of the pallbearers bailed out. Would you be willing to help carry May's casket?"

"We don't even have her body, why do we have a casket?" Peter demanded. He had a point.

"Respect," I told him.

"Mr. Stark can do it," Peter told Rhodey. "He seemed to like May." With that, Peter stalked off into the church, leaving Rhodey and me standing outside.

"Dude, he is just like you," Rhodey said. I glared at him but he just smiled. "I'm just saying. Maybe a DNA test."

"Not the time, Rhodey," I said. Rhodey nodded and walked with me into the church.


	10. Chapter 10

_Peter's POV_

The funeral was awful. Everyone said such nice things about Aunt May and I just wanted to make them all shut up. They didn't know her like I did. They never said 'I larb you' to her or went to her when they needed help tying a tie for a school meeting. I couldn't help but hate every nice thing people said about her, knowing she deserved to hear it when she was alive but probably never had.

It took a while, but eventually Mr. Stark was leading me out to the car we would ride in to the cemetery. It was quiet on the ride there, but I was glad no one tried to talk to me. At the beginning when people had been coming in for the funeral, almost every single one of them had said 'I'm sorry for your loss'. I didn't know half of them, but apparently May did. Mr. Stark had access to that sort of thing.

The preacher was saying something as they lowered her empty casket into the ground. I didn't listen. I was too busy trying to think up excuses for why I should be mad at her for leaving me or how it was her fault. To have someone to blame for her death was comforting in a way, but not when it was her.

"Come on, kid," Mr. Stark said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, but didn't turn me away from the freshly covered grave. I don't even remember the service ending. "It's been half an hour since everyone else left." It has? Why couldn't I remember that? "Let's go home." I couldn't go home. May was dead and I couldn't go home.

Mr. Stark tried to turn me away from the grave, but I refused to move. He pulled me again, but I shoved him off of me. I felt warm tears on my face and furiously wiped them away. Mr. Stark tried to pull me away again, but I shoved him harder. He stumbled backwards and raised his hands in surrender.

"No! I can't leave!" I told him. Mr. Stark just stood there but for some reason, that made me even angrier. "You don't understand! She was the only thing I had left and now she's gone. I'm all alone and you just want to take me back to the tower so I can pack my things and leave!" I yelled. Mr. Stark crossed his arms, watching as I cried and screamed at him. "I hate you! You let her die!" I screamed, pointing at him angrily and continuing to scream.

Mr. Stark didn't say anything. He just stood and watched me, letting me sob and scream at him for what felt like hours. I wouldn't stop, knowing as soon as I did that we would leave. Once we left, it would mean she was really gone and I wasn't ready for that.

"I just want her back," I said quietly, dropping my arms after screaming at Tony once again. I tried to wipe the tears off my face, but they just continued to come and I couldn't get them to stop. I didn't have any more energy to scream, though, so I just stood in front of Tony and cried.

"You ready to go, Peter?" Tony asked softly. He wrapped an arm over my shoulders and I nodded slowly. I glanced back at Aunt May's grave and a new flood of tears began.

Tony didn't guide me back to the car like I expected. Instead, he just wrapped both arms around me and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back, burying my face in his dress shirt and continuing to cry.

"You know, my mom died when I was about your age," Tony said quietly, still hugging me. "It was awful. Worst thing in the world when the person you love most dies." He hugged me tighter as I gave another sob, trying to calm down. "But you know, I like to think I turned out okay. I still miss her like hell on particularly bad days, feel like no one else in the world could ever understand me like she did, but then you come bounding in the room with that annoyingly bright smile and yell 'Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!' in that obnoxiously cheerful voice of yours--" I snorted, wiping my face as my tears stopped, but kept my face buried in Tony's shirt. "--and I realize that maybe someone else can understand me better than I thought." I hear someone sniffle and it isn't me. I hug Tony harder, wanting to hear what else he has to say and he chuckles, rubbing my back. "Losing someone like that sucks, kid. But you made my loss better and I will do everything in my power to make yours better, too."

I don't say anything and neither does Tony. We don't move apart though and I'm glad, because I'm worried if Tony lets go of me, I'll start crying again. So we just stand in the cemetery for a while, not saying a word.


	11. Chapter 11

_Tony's POV_

The next few days after the funeral, Peter seemed to be getting better. I refused to let him go to school the entire week. I don't think he really wanted to go, though, so I didn't feel bad about it. Instead, we stayed in the tower most of the time. Peter had started telling me little things him and May would do whenever something reminded him. He didn't cry as much anymore, but sometimes I would see him wipe his face after telling me something about May.

"On Friday nights, we would always go to this Thai place with Ned and I always ordered larb," Peter told me at lunch. He had finally started eating fairly regularly. He ate three meals, but they weren't always at consistent times. "She would joke about larbing me and stupid stuff like that." He chuckled and I smiled.

"How about you call up Ned and we can go to that Thai place?" I suggested. Peter's head snapped up from his plate. His eyes were wide and he had a ghost of a smile. "Oh come on, kid. You didn't think I'd let you mope around all week, did you?" His smile was obvious now and I couldn't help but smile back at him. It was so nice to see him so happy. "We can pick your friend up. Unless you want to ride that god-awful subway there." Peter nodded vigorously and I mentally groaned at the thought of riding that demon-train again.

"Thank you so much, Tony! It's gonna be awesome!" Peter exclaimed. "You'll love it!"

"I better if I have to ride the demon-train again," I retorted. Peter's smiled grew even more if that was possible. I pointed at his spaghetti that I had managed to figure out how to make with FRIDAY's help. "Eat your lunch, though, or you'll be too starved to make it to dinner." Peter began to eat his spaghetti so fast I was almost worried he'd choke. He finished in five minutes then ran off towards his room, probably to invite Ned to dinner.

* * *

When we arrived at the Thai place, I followed Peter over to a table where two people were sitting. I recognized Ned, but I didn't recognize the girl. Peter happily sat down across from her, though, so I sat across from Ned.

"I thought Ned was one person," I said. "I didn't know he could become two people and a female at that." Peter's face turned red.

"I invited MJ as well," he muttered. I grinned, looking at Peter then MJ who had just put her book down and was now giving me a funny look.

"So this is MJ? I've heard all about you," I said. It wasn't entirely true, but I knew it would cause Peter to fluster and get embarrassed. I'd only heard a little bit about her. "Peter tells me about you all the time." Peter turned even more red and tried to hit my chest. I caught his hand and gave it back to him, though, and he just glared at me.

"I do not!" he told MJ. I just smirked.

"I've heard a lot about you too, Mr. Stark," MJ said. I raised an eyebrow at Peter who groaned and laid his head down on the table to hide his face. "I think it's pretty neat that you decided to put your technology to good use in helping the environment instead of for weaponry and destruction." Peter lifted his head off the table to look at my shocked expression. "You should have switched earlier, but better late than never."

"Ha!" Peter grinned. I rolled my eyes as the waiter brought menus over. "Now that we've gotten that over with..." He trailed off, glancing at the menu even though I knew he already knew what he wanted. Apparently I was the only one who didn't.

"What's good here?" I asked, which was a mistake because I got three very different opinions all at once. "Um, maybe I'll just look at the menu."

As I read through the menu, Peter, MJ, and Ned all talked happily together. It sounded like they were mainly talking about their Academic Decathlon thing, but I wasn't paying well enough attention to know for sure.

When the waiter came back to take our orders, I still hadn't decided. Peter and his friends ordered first and when it was my turn, I just glanced at the menu and order the only thing I could remember reading about. The waiter took our menus and left. As soon as he was gone, the kids returned to their conversation.

"You're gonna be able to go and actually make it this year, right Peter?" MJ asked. Peter hesitated, looking over at me. I shrugged and MJ looked at me too.

"Yeah, that's the plan," Peter replied. They continued talking even once the food came, which was pretty good, and up until closing time when they kicked us out.

"See you guys later!" Ned waved wildly. Him and MJ had walked here apparently, but Peter and I had ridden the subway. Peter waved just as wildly while MJ barely raised her hand.

"Bye, guys!" Peter yelled. They turned the corner, out of sight, so Peter and I turned as well and headed towards the subway. Unfortunately, I had a full stomach now and the subway was not exactly something I was looking forward to.


	12. Chapter 12

_Peter's POV_

Mondays were always pretty awful to begin with, but the Monday you have to return to school after not being there for over a week is the worst. Ned had gotten all my homework to me on Friday night when we went out for Thai and I had been able to finish it over the weekend, but I still wasn't looking forward to school.

"Come on, kid," Tony said, passing a plate with buttered toast and a store bought muffin towards me. "Eat up. I have to head out to the compound today, so I can't take you to school or come get you after. You can ride the subway though, right?" I nodded, biting into my toast. "Alright. If you need anything at all, call me and I'll be there." I nodded again.

"Are you leaving now?" I asked as he walked towards the elevator. Tony glanced at his watch and nodded. "Bye!"

"See you later, Pete," Tony said. He stepped into the elevator and I was alone. I didn't really mind, but it was the first time I had been alone since May's death. I pushed the thought out of my head and finished my breakfast. Even though I would get to school early, I still grabbed my backpack and walked out of the tower at 7:15. It would only take about 30 minutes on the subway to get to school, but I didn't mind being early. Ned would probably be early, too.

* * *

Morning classes were boring as always. At lunch, I found myself sitting with Ned and MJ. Flash hadn't bothered me yet today, but that didn't mean he wouldn't at all. Lunch was usually a safe time, but I guess today wasn't a good day.

"Hey, Penis," Flash said, walking towards our table. I just sighed and set down my sandwich. MJ didn't even look up from her book but Ned found a sudden interest in the table. "I heard Auntie May died. It must suck being homeless."

"I'm not homeless, Flash," I told him, picking my sandwich back up. "I'm living with a friend." Flash snorted in disbelief and smirked, crossing his arms as he stood over me.

"Are you living with Tony Stark?" he taunted. I didn't answer, but that must have been enough for him. "It's only a few days before he decides to kick you to the streets. He's not gonna keep you around forever, Parker." I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore him. "He'll leave your sorry arse out on the streets just like May did. I bet she faked her death to get rid of you." I was too shocked to do anything, but MJ wasn't. She was out of her seat before I could blink and had her hand on Flash's collar.

"Say that again and I will personally ruin your life," she threatened. Flash didn't move. He almost seemed afraid of her. "You know what will happen if you ever bother any of us again, so I suggest you leave while you still can." He nodded and, as soon as she let him go, raced off to find his friends. MJ sat back down, going back to her book while Ned and I just stared at her.

"What was that?" I asked. MJ glanced up at me.

"Nothing," she answered. "Don't listen to him. He's just jealous he doesn't know Mr. Stark." I nodded, focusing on my sandwich. I was still confused about what had gone down between her and Flash, but I knew she wouldn't tell me so I didn't bother asking.


	13. Chapter 13

_Tony's POV_

I arrived back at the tower a little later than I expected. When I walked into the living room, Peter was eating leftover spaghetti as he watched TV. He looked away from the TV when he heard me walk into the room but didn't say anything. I grabbed my own dinner from the fridge then joined Peter on the couch. Even though he was watching the TV, I could tell he had something on his mind.

"How was school?" I asked, sitting on the couch next to him. He looked up from his bowl of spaghetti and shrugged. "Well, something's on your mind. I can tell. You get quiet and forget to yell in glee when I return to the tower." Peter smile a little, but it wasn't enough to convince me he was fine. "What's up, kid?" I turned to TV volume down a couple notches and Peter sighed.

"Child services hasn't talk to you, have they? Or do they even know where to find me?" he asked.  I frowned. Why was he worrying about child services? Before I could ask him that though, he said in one breath, "It's just, I know they have to give me to someone and I won't be staying here, but I don't have anyone else and I'll be an adult in three years and foster care sucks so I don't want to do that, but I don't really have a choice and so I was just wondering if they had come to talk to you?" He looked at me expectantly though what he was waiting for I didn't know.  

"Child services knows where you're at, trust me," I said, chuckling a little. Peter cracked a small smile and I continued. "They've talked to me, but I've also talked to them. They're not gonna place you in foster care, I made sure of that."

"Really?" Peter seemed relieved, then confusion spread across his face. "Then where am I going?  I don't have grandparents I never knew about, do I?" I shook my head.

"No, at least I don't know about them either," I said. Peter nodded, taking a bite of his spaghetti, but still watching me. "They need to assign you a legal guardian and since you're a teen, you have some say in that." Peter shrugged, staring down at his bowl of spaghetti. "I know you don't have anywhere else to go, so I told them I'd sign on as your legal guardian." Peter nodded, still staring blankly at his spaghetti. It only took three seconds for him to process what I had said. His eyes snapped up to me and he looked so surprised I wondered if he had really thought I'd be sending him away.

"Wait, you're being serious?" he asked. I nodded. He almost dropped his spaghetti as he jumped towards me. He quickly put his food on the coffee table then hugged me tightly.

"Whoa, okay I know I was all touchy and nice earlier, but I'm still not good with hugs," I reminded him. He didn't let go, though, so I just hugged him back, glad he seemed happy about the arrangement. "So, I take it you're fine with this?" I asked as he pulled away. He nodded vigorously.

"You have no idea how fine I am with this," he said excitedly. I chuckled and picked up my food. "So, did you sign some sort of adoption papers or something?" I nodded and he grinned. He could barely sit still and was definitely not paying attention to the TV. He started laughing all of a sudden and I glanced at him, wondering if maybe the news was too much in his already fragile state of mind.   
"What's so funny?" I asked. Peter stopped laughing and grinned at me, but his grin looked more like a smirk.

"You're officially my dad," he answered.

"I am not a dad," I firmly pointed out. Peter's grin didn't falter. "I am simply like your super cool older brother or something that has to raise you and whatnot."

"You're a dad," Peter told me. I glared at him but his smirk only grew as he said, "That means you have to teach me to catch and all that shit."

"Hey! Don't say that word!" I said, pointing at him. "Bad word." Peter erupted into more laughter as I rolled my eyes.

"Dad," he muttered. He received another glare but just continued to laugh.


	14. Chapter 14

The thing about adopting a kid that goes to school in Queens and refuses to switch schools is that then you have to then buy a place to live in Queens to make getting to school easier. The next problem is that there is hardly any real estate available nearby.

"You don't need to get a big fancy house," Peter muttered. I had been looking for something for two hours now and FRIDAY hadn't come up with anything more than the real estate websites I was looking at had. Peter had mentioned just moving into his old apartment building or something, but I wanted to see if there was something nicer available. I wasn't used to the common ways of living.

"Fine," I sighed, leaning back in my chair and spinning to face him. "Where should we go? You're from the area. What's a good neighborhood?"

"I'd be fine going back to my old apartment building," he told me. "I know you don't think it's a good idea, but Ned lives there and he's my best friend." I knew if we moved back into the exact apartment May and Peter had lived in, Peter was not likely to get over her death. However, I didn't want to move him far away from his best friend.

"Alright," I gave in. "I'll find a place close, but probably not in the same building. Across the street." Peter's face lit up and I was worried he'd hug me again, but he didn't.

"Thank you so much, Tony! You'll love the neighborhood," he said. He started describing it and I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, but we would only be there during the week. Unless I had to go away. Then he would live there with Vision.

My phone alerted me to a text message, so I picked it up to glance at it. Peter continued to talk as I read the text, but when I waved my arm at him, he stopped.

"Yeah, okay Underoos," I said. I stood up from my chair and reached for my phone. "I need to go out to the compound and for lack of anything else to do, you're coming too." Peter slumped in his chair with a frown.

"But I don't wanna," he complained. I headed towards the door to my lab and FRIDAY opened it.

"Tough luck, kid," I replied. I heard him sigh and left the lab. FRIDAY alerted me that Peter was following me out of the lab, so I had her lock it down while we would be gone.

* * *

We arrived at the Avengers Compound almost an hour later. It should have taken us longer, but I broke a few speed limits in order to get to the compound as soon as possible. Peter didn't stop talking the entire way, but I wasn't really listening.

"Why's there a jet?" Peter asked, pointing up at the landing pad. I glanced around the grounds, making sure no one was around. The grounds were silent, but I still didn't answer Peter. I just put my hand on his back and pushed him into the compound.

"You'll see soon, but don't freak out," I warned. Peter nodded, looking confused but willing to do whatever I asked. I steered him through the compound down to my lab. Peter looked around in amazement. He'd never been down here before but to be fair, neither had anyone other than me up until about 2 hours ago.

"Tony? What's this?" Peter asked. The wall responded to the code I put in and a door opened to a stairwell. Peter followed me down the spiral staircase in the dark, the door shutting out the light.  The emergency lights I had installed lit up the stairway enough that we could see the steps, but the stairs were so tall you couldn't see the bottom. "Where are we going? This room isn't on the blueprints. Why?"

"Ross would know about it then," I told him. Peter nodded in understanding, seeming a little less confused. "FRIDAY doesn't even know about it. Only Vision because it was on JARVIS's memory."  

"What's it for?" Peter asked. We reached the bottom of the stairs and I entered the next password. The door unlocked and I pushed it open. Peter followed me into the secret room and stopped as soon as he looked around.

"You promised you wouldn't freak out," I reminded him, locking the door behind us. When I turned around, I grinned. "Welcome back, everyone." Steve grinned and Wanda looked up from where she had been speaking with Vision. Clint and Nat sat on a bed talking in Russian and sign language and Bucky was nowhere to be seen.  Sam looked like he had been talking with Steve right up until we had walked in on them.

"Who's the kid?" Steve asked, pointing to Peter. I glanced at Peter who was still in shock at seeing everyone.

"This is Peter," I introduced, putting my arm over his shoulders. Peter gave a small wave and I saw Nat smirk as I said, "He's my son. And he's going to help us stop the world from ending."


	15. Author's Note

Hey!  Thanks so much for reading my story.  There is a sequel up and it’s call _If Only To Last Forever._ If you liked this book, please check out my other works.  Thanks for reading!


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